


Fleur de Lune

by Prince_of_Heart



Series: Homestuck [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Character Death, Dirk is framed as a murderer, F/F, F/M, Hate to Love, Kingdomstuck, M/M, Malnourishment, Manslaughter, More like forced engagement, Sadstuck, Slow Burn, Starvation, The Black Queen is an AWFUL person, Treason, Violence, accidental cannibalism, contract marriage, dirkjake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2019-06-23 07:00:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15600864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_of_Heart/pseuds/Prince_of_Heart
Summary: Prospit & Derse are kingdoms eternally at war.With Prospit constantly flourishing in the south, and Derse to the north, cold and barren with too many citizens to feed;time and again, Derse would break any peace treaty that Prospit would come to offer.This was one of those times.





	1. Lost to Time

_ For a long time, there existed two kingdoms. A tale as old as time, told time and time again. One of light, and one swathed in darkness. Locked permanently in what seemed an eternal struggle for power. Monarchs fell, civilians died, cities triumphed, and all was either well or war. _

 

_ Where there was light and beauty, etiquette, class, and abundance in the golden walls of Prospit; there was just as much dissonance and suffering, hatred, upset, and starvation in the darkest shadows of its’ rival kingdom, Derse. _

 

_ For when Prospit tended to prosper, Derse would double their numbers with half of the supplies to feed their realm. Which is what imposed the thought. _

 

_ Why make peace? When one could steal? _

  
  


_ On and off again Prospit would offer treaties to their less peaceful neighbor in a hope that in return for food, Derse would keep their violent archagents and weapons away from their borders. Inevitably, time and time again, there was never enough crop to go around, and as a treaty’s peace would peak, it’s vow would be broken. _

 

_ And as always, during the 48th reign of the Good Queen, the kingdoms were back at war. _


	2. Sundials & Steam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Hast been a shared tradition between the kingdoms of light and dark respectively, that their royalty need not be cooperatively ruling_   
>  _with the intent of courtship. And w’re not for the last decade when the Black King had mysteriously vanished, making Derse strictly a matriarchy;_   
>  **this wouldst still be true.**

Steam curled lazily through the air, brushing over sun-gold and vibrant blue tiles, kissing the ground before alighting, drifting higher like a lover on their leave. Reaching for a white, aromatic coil of it stirred the air and the steam gracefully swept around one of the lazy Prince’s open palms before it dissipated and was gone. Laying in the royal bath for the past thirty minutes, he’d done little more than this, watching the steam, transfixed as it lingered beneath the skylight that let in the starshine. It lit the entire bathroom with a golden backlight, reflected on every carefully placed tile and turning the water a dewy golden green hue. The entire east wing had to smell like the fruity concoction of bathing salts he’d decided to indulge for the day. His sister and cousin were liable to having no certain opinion when it came to perfumes, but every day it was the same for him. Ever since he’d bathed in coconut milk and spearmint oils for the first time it’s quickly devolved to favoritism. And! It happened to do wonders for the skin.

 

**_Knock, knock, knock._ **

 

Although there were no doors in the bathhouse to keep him from noticing the arrival of his lady in waiting, it still startled him when he snapped from his stupor and saw her looking frantic as she picked herself up from knocking on the tile floor.

 

“My Lord, the young Princess means to-”

 

“Jake!!! What in Skaia is taking you so long??”

 

Pushing past the startled woman, was another as tall as she was nosy. And her voice was just about as big as she was willowy. Her gowns trailed over the floor with a hiss when she moved, the unmistakable shade of gold that draped only the Prospitian hierarchy. But by now you were far used to your sibling bursting in on your private time with all the subtlety and finesse of a gangly gazelle that you simply smiled lazily up at Jade, hands on her hips by the edge of the pool.

 

“Can’t a guy enjoy his bath without being interrupted, dear sister?”

 

Oh, she would have narrowed her eyes at you like that whether you’d been sarcastically kind or not. With her fingers drumming across the hemline of her dress, you waited another moment and then straightened up, pushing away from the wall of the bathing pool and instead steepled your arms, put your chin in your hands and looked up at her with a genuine smile.

 

“Were you next? I’m sorry.”

 

Whatever had put the tension in the young princess’ shoulders in the first place, seemed to have left at that. You had this way about you. For as much as you could surely suck with diplomatic affairs, you really did have no possible way of keeping anybody cross with you for long. And after a sigh, she sunk down into a crouch in front of you, obviously trying and failing to hold back a smile. It reached her eyes first, it always did.

 

“No, you big, smelly idiot.”

 

“I happen to smell rather nice for once, I’d think, thank you.”

 

Jade barked out a laugh and it echoed around the halls, only making your smile all the bigger. For all it was worth, you two were very close siblings.

 

“It’s probably because you’ve been up to your ears in soap for half an hour! No, I don’t care about that. Jane wants to see you.”

 

* * *

 

It always seemed to come naturally that Jane had this air of intimidation around her, an actual born-regal disposition that charged the molecules all around her visage and had many a wayward Prospitian (were there any), entranced and giving a bow. Whether it really was a gift of hers or just given the fact that the other two royal children of Prospit tended to fly around the city, offering kind words and initiating their idea of ‘fun’ with the realm’s inhabitants that made her seem all the more important; well, that was up for debate. But even Jake himself wasn’t privy in how to ward off the feeling that he was intruding on something important every time he entered her chambers.

 

There she was, doing nothing particularly harmless but sitting at the edge of her chaise with a book pleating the skirts in her lap. When he entered, she fixed him with a not unkind stare from blue eyes and offered him a reserved smile before offering him the seat nearby.

 

“You took longer than I expected and yet this is record timing, for you.”

 

The Young Prince and her confidant started to grin boyishly as he sat himself down in a brilliantly adorned chair. Like everything in the room, it was a vibrant cerulean. Jane tended to follow something of the kingdom’s aesthetic, with bright curtains, soft colored walls and lavish furniture. It was funny, for a woman he knew wasn’t as ornate as she looked. And she was just as up to some mischief every once in a while when he could pull her away from her mystery novella.

 

“Well, you know. When adventure calls-!”

 

“You end up ruining your robes and having to bathe for half an hour. Yes, I heard all about the incident at the market already.”

 

That had his face waxing a little red, and Jake looked down at his lap at his newer, clean golden clothing feeling a little ashamed. He just always had this issue with staying still. And it wasn’t as if there was a rule keeping the royalty chained within the castle walls. If anything, Prospit was quite proud and well-known for it’s easygoing nature that swathed the country as a constant. It's why the younger Prince John was out scouting, and why it's become most of his life if Jake were honest!

 

But the lack of watchful eyes didn’t mean Jake always planned for a mess. The most current mess happening to be a couple uneven cobblestones and one HISTORICALLY GINORMOUS mud bath. And let me tell you personally, the mud WAR that came thereafter was much bigger.

 

But when he attempted to open his mouth and explain himself, Jane lifted a hand to stop him and just grinned.

 

“Oh, save it you doofus. I don’t really care. And it gives the royal seamstress something to do. She seems to enjoy when she has any work, so until she is bothered by it, I won’t be.”

 

And then as she sucked in a breath and sat up a bit straighter, Jake found himself mirroring her every move, much like they had been when tied at the hip as children. She was resolved to hiding her more animated and unique mannerisms for the responsibilities of a future Queen, and he respected that. Even if it meant that they had grown apart over time.

 

"No, I don't really mind the whole incident. This is about more important business."

 

As Jake quirked a brow, Jane folded her hands neatly over the book in her lap with all the practiced grace of a proper Heiress.

 

"The Queen means to head to the borders today, in hopes of personal negotiation."

 

His face fell a little, Jane's lips growing into a tight line. Her nod confirmed his suspicions immediately, although he couldn't stop himself from saying it otherwise.

 

"Derse a-"

 

"Derse again."

 

He shuffled only a little in his seat, the frown affixed on his features. It never was customary for Jake to worry about, well, just about anything! Jane was always the more responsible out of the two of them. And John and Jade would remain but a Prince and Princess unless something were to happen to the prior two. Which he had also, never had to worry about. Until, the King passed. Bless his heart.

 

As if reading his mind through his features, Jane easily raised a hand with her thumb folded towards her palm, making a peaceful sigil in the air that way over her heart. A motion that Jake mirrored, wishing the late King his proper rest. Derse never could end something peacefully it seemed, and his death had been violent. Such a kind.. gentle King.

 

"You know that the Ashen Queen won't show up. She'll, what, send a concierge again, and when we try to bargain with them they never settle for anything but more. More supplies, more Prospitian wards. And most of them haven't written in moons!"

 

With a hand by his mouth, Jake narrowed his eyes and whispered almost conspiratorily;

 

"I'm beginning to think she's asked for them just to lock them away in her hell dungeon."

 

But when Jane didn't smile at his suggestion, he realized just how likely that might be and leaned back in his chair again.

 

"We don't really have much else of a choice."

 

Her skirts whispered as Jane moved the book to her nearby nightstand and pushed herself to stand. The strict confines of her fitted dress rendered her shadow much more svelte against the harsh golden light of the outer aurum as she stepped towards the wide, hatched windows. Steepling her hands by her waist, she took a breath that he knew had to pain her, and Jake looked on apologetically towards Prospitian fashion and figure.

 

"Without John here, we don't have anything but our limited militia. And most have either disbanded after the King's death or lost all willpower to do anything but hide away and wish for a happier life. That's what they would all prefer to do, Jake. They pretend that outside of our borders, there is no threat; until the threat comes to us. Our kingdom is shrinking."

 

With his hands on his knees, Jake glanced towards the fabric covering them. Tracing the intricate swirls woven into it, the subtle hues of beige whispering between a softer honeycomb shade. A nervous tick.

 

"What would you.. have suggested we do?"

 

Jane turned her head to look at him then, her eyes blazing brighter than he'd ever seen them.

 

" _If it were up to me, there would be no more negotiations_."

 

* * *

 

 

 


	3. Lilac & Fudge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shut-in Princess gets her day in the Prospitian Sun as the Good Queen reaches the border to the Dersian Badlands.

After that, things seemed to grow quiet. Jake, hadn't done anything amazing after his long bath, and Jane herself had nothing of vague interest to talk about. So between short anecdotes, they were at a conversational stalemate. Just like always. At an odds. And its been nearly half an hour.

 

_"I think-"_

_"Maybe we-"_

 

Both of them paused when the other tried to speak at the same time, and Jake rubbed the back of his neck as Jane waved a hand for him to go on.

 

_"I'm sorry, I'll-"_

_"Why don't you-"_

 

Jake sputtered and the Princess took pity on him, snickering into her hand and crossing an arm over her waist. Her hand waved at him again and he sunk back into his chair under the cast of her smile.

 

"Go ahead. You go first."

 

With a sheepishly returning smile, Jake crossed his arms and then uncrossed them again. Fitting his hands together, almost a little nervous, but like all the other times he's ever asked; he still did. The man never knew how to back down or when to quit, and it's been at least a solid year now of negative rebuttal.

 

"I was actually wondering, if you would accompany Jade and I as we went out this afternoon. Mostly, of course, to cordially apologize for the town wide fiasco as usual, but! Afterward maybe we could go down to the river like we used to-"

 

As he spoke, his words and his facial expression became just a little more animated. It was exactly how Jake worked; like somebody was slowly turning a dial on his happiness and it only ever grew.

 

"And if we had the guards with us, maybe we could join Mathilde at her little inn for dinner. And then, by the time we get back we could venture the gardens- you know! Just around the time the fireflies come out and-!"

 

Jake paused to take a breath and take in Jane, smiling at him from across the way with a remorseful look. It almost immediately came to sober him from his high again. It always did. But he still scooted a little closer, to the edge of his seat where he smiled back, just as sad and a little hopeful. Licking his lips before he spoke up, Jake gestured openly, palm up towards her. His cousin, his Princess. His childhood best friend that he knew was still somewhere within that much more refined lace carapace.

 

"It doesn't have to last all that long, honestly Janey. I just figured, mayhaps, a breath of fresh air and change of scenery would do you some good."

 

She cast him a teasingly angry look at that, but he only rolled his eyes and stood up to approach her. When he came within a foot of her, Jake reached out to grab one of her hands and encapsulate it within his much more weathered ones. Together it was as stark a contrast as rich sulfur and snow, only accentuating the fact that she was in terrible need of some sunlight in her life.

 

"Now don't take it that way. I mean, the air in this castle is stagnant, and even with all of the villas wide open and the summer breeze rushing in; maybe, outside of the palace walls, you will find the answer to solve this Dersian problem."

 

After a long moment in silence and thoroughly scrutinizing every pore in Jake's face, Jane drew her lips into a tight line. She turned her head to glance outside, where the sun was still high and had barely started to sink in the sky. It was bound to be hot outside like the breezes that ran through the castle, and more sure than that, the people of the realm would likely be extremely surprised to see their eldest Princess walking among them again. It obviously was the least of Jake's current worries, where his more pressing problems were getting his cousin to have fun, but that didn't mean it wasn't worth a shot, right?

 

"...How long has it been, since I've been outside again?"

 

* * *

 

After the initial fussing and flurry of Jane picking and panicking over 'oh whatever will I wear??!' and then another pep talk or two, Jake had traveled to the Southern tower in search of Jade to come along for the town outing. She was exactly where they had expected to find her, sitting in the open courtyard, overhung with wildly growing vines. Everything in her quarters was bursting with life. So with the lemongrass creeping up her skirts, she sat and painted with her fingers, no other utensils set before her canvas.

 

When they finally drew her out of her daydream, she reeled back with her fingertips stained different hues of purple and vibrant gold, and they got her up and away from her incredibly realistic painting of a wilting violet growing in the heart of Prospit.

 

She immediately was all in for the expedition of course, if not even more excited than Jake himself was. And it was the last thing Jane seemed to need before she had no other option than to be a little pumped. Jade wiped her fingers in the folds of her skirts, and they made their way out of the castle that way. Back towards the center threshold, and to the Northern towers where John used to reside. They stopped only for a small entourage of two guards that demanded to accompany the heiress before they left.

 

It was as if the Princess had been holding her breath, and it didn't go unnoticed by Jake how she let it out when they stepped through the front gates. He spared her a sympathetic glance, but she was holding her head high already.

 

He snorted and shoved his hands into the pockets that he had requested be sewn into his trousers, and she cast him a sideways glance.

 

"What?"

 

"Well, it's just you're awfully uptight all the time. It's nice to see you letting it go." He said this with a gentle pat on her rigid back and Jane folded on herself a little with a sputter.

 

But while her face grew red, Jake and Jade practically shook with laughter. Jane huffed, elbowing him lightly in the stomach, causing Jake to pretend to wheeze. Everyone was already expecting a long, eventful day.

 

 

 

The usual hustle and bustle in Prospit's streets was no less ruthless; even with the young Queen present. Everywhere they went, since entering the city and lower realms has been packed with people. Prospitian civilians, donning their clothing in pastel blue and pink and green hues, who waved to the younger siblings and then hastily bowed as they noticed Jane. By the time the three had reached the center of the town, it seemed every carapacian was aware and outside to see the spectacle.

 

The ELDEST???

 

OUT IN THE S T R E E T S?????

 

It might not sound like much, but it really had been, what? 7 vigorous years now of secluded heir training that kept Jane inside. Jake would have shared the same fate if it weren't for the King's passing. He kind of ended up with a 'get out of the castle free card', at the cost of the dear man's late exit.

 

So practically wading through the bodies of the citizens in front of them, Jake waved Jade & Jane after him towards a small stall along the side of a towering golden building and beamed back at them.

 

"Well!! Now that we're here, what would you like to do?"

 

A little bit winded, with her guards pushing up between people behind her, Jane looked a little confused and her mouth hung open before she composed herself.

 

"Wh- Didn't you have this big, confounded plan?"

 

He shook his head vehemently and only smiled wider.

 

"But of course not, I just decided where we would go for dinner and there's still-" Hopping up suddenly on the base of a lamppost nearby, Jake peered over the crowd at the gigantic sundial in the middle of the square and then shrugged back down at them.

 

"About another 3 hours until supper! So!!"

 

Hopping back down with surprising grace on his feet, Jake placed his hands on his hips and then gestured towards the square and its crowd of people.

 

"The rest of the day is yours, m'lady!"

 

After a moment of fumbling for words, Jane pressed a hand to her cheek helplessly and stole a glance over her shoulder. The main town square was wide, a gigantic crescent shape cut into the city streets that branched off in too many directions to count. In the very center of the square, rather than there being a statue or a fountain, there was the aforementioned sundial. Older and more archaic than any part of the city, but even in its simplicity it was gorgeous. Carved straight up and from the ground, almost like it had mystically grown out of the cobblestone by itself.

 

The farthest corner from here, there was a couple young carapacians bent over on the ground fitting bricks into the street where Jane presumed the initial mud-fight had started judging by the caked stuff around their work area. Nearest to them were rows upon rows of stalls that wrapped around the sanctum where other civilians were showing their home-made wares, most of which kept pausing to cast a curious side-eye towards the trio where they stood by the merge in the road they had come from.

 

By then, Jane seemed to hesitate for a moment more before she lifted an arm and pointed in the general direction of the street deeper in town.

 

"Let's start off by heading that way and see what strikes our fancy."

 

Clapping his hands together, Jake launched himself into action, moving in the way Jane directed almost immediately. 

 

"That sounds like a MIGHTY FINE idea! Let's go!!"

 

Trying to keep up with Jake's eager strides, the princesses followed him with Jade bounding up beside him with a smile. They began to discuss the day's agenda and where they would be eating later which Jane caught bare snippets of.

 

"I was thinking of the ale house-"

"By the STARS, Jane? In the presence of drinking? She would NOT have it."

 

But she mostly lost interest in conversation to pay more attention to her surroundings. She had been viewing the castle walls from her windowsill many a day, and although the hard bricks of these town houses had less shine to them, there was a whole other weathered aesthetic to their sparkling sandstone make that had Jane enthralled. Here and there a healthy vine was growing undisturbed by the home inhabitants, crawling the walls of different establishments like beanstalks. And then even, one particular entrance caught her eye. Splashes of vibrant purple and white cut through all of the city's gold; lilacs, a stark contrast outside of the nearby flower shop.

 

Jane hadn't even entirely noticed that she had paused outside before the movement in the front windows caught her eye. Bashfully she made eye contact with the shop owner, a sweet little carapacian woman in vibrant colors and a headwrap, and waved back sheepishly before hurrying on after her relatives.

 

Only to realize, she really had no idea which direction they went. When she looked ahead of her, the swarms of people buzzing around had formed into a flat sea of bobbing heads and carapaced bodies. Both Jake and Jade's towering silhouettes nowhere to be found. With her head whipping left and then right, she scanned the nearby storefronts, but they weren't anywhere she could spot them. 

 

Starting with one foot forward, Jane scooted around a carapacian with a hushed 'sorry' as she nearly collided with them and continued her search, picking up her skirts and narrowly skimming around others as the crowd shuffled on. The occasional apology, and the click of her heels drowned out by the whisper of moving cloth and everyone's joined footsteps as they hurried in whatever direction they were headed for the day.

 

Her head was beginning to swim with the thought that she might have been left behind and she wouldn't be able to find her way back to them when her intrusive state of mind was briefly interrupted by an overwhelming strike to the face. Of odor. It was a heady, rich smell of chocolate. Something she couldn't quite place but altogether so familiar that she whipped her head around to find where it was coming from.

 

And there, on the other side of the glass there were cakes. A plethora of perfectly baked confections; round, small, tiered. Bunt cakes, angel food, chocolate, red velvet, something that looked sprinkled in cinnamon sugar. And standing behind them with their mouths open and slavering were;

 

"Oh my _fucking heavens_."

 

Bunching up her skirts, Jane strode through the front door to the shop with her face growing red and steam practically coming out of her ears. Inside, the entire restaurant was lit with natural light from skylights placed in the low ceiling. The smell of chocolate was a lot stronger inside than it was out, so there must've been a newly made chocolate cake somewhere about. And the moment she reached the both of the hooligans at the counter, she smacked Jade lightly on the arm before grabbing Jake by the ear for being the eldest.

 

He yelped as he was suddenly yanked down to her height, face to face with an angry princess.

 

"By the dickens, Jane what's wrong?"

 

"What's wrong? What's _wrong_??? You two _left me_ along the pathway, and I had no way back or no idea as to where I was or how to find you!"

 

Jade looked particularly perplexed as she rubbed her arm and sulked back.

 

"We didn't know.. Or mean to, for that matter."

 

"We did say we should all head towards Pollot's Bakery." Jake interrupted.

 

With her cheeks puffed out and her hands firmly back on her hips so that Jake could straighten up, Jane took a moment to mull through her mind for any mention of the bakery. Which, she honestly could have missed while enjoying the sights. And then Jane fixed her skirts, straightened her back and held out one hand promptly.

 

"For my misjudgment, and your lack of foresight; you'll be paying me back in cake."


	4. Borders & Caskets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News, from Derse.

That night, the royalty of Prospit, full of cake and happiness still radiating from them as the sun set and stained the castle in gold; they slept like rocks.

 

Their dreams, as always were ever vivid thanks to the clouds in their kingdom. The kingdom of sunlight, the kingdom of visions.

 

So as they drifted past Prince and Princess' windows alike that night, visions came. More powerful to some, than others.

 

Jane was left dreaming of her outing that morning. She could still taste the chocolate fondue that poured from gooey hot center of a fresh molten lava cake she ate. And the crisp tang of the raspberries the baker had garnished the already heavenly baked good with. The soft, powdery texture of the sugar left on the plate anyone would be a fool not to cherish. She had personally scooped it up with a spoon and eaten it all at the end, like a tiny reward for coming out so far today. Her mind made note to ask for the man's name again tomorrow morning.

 

Jake's dreams that night, took a much different turn. He had never seen this land before, but he already knew what it must be, and it chilled his skin in his sleep. He could imagine the wind, winding around him just as it shook the trees in the square. No, a garden. Only, everything was dead. The bushes in front of him bore no fruit or leaves, but where its skeleton was deeply rooted in the cobblestone around him, it couldn't seem to uproot to get proper rest. No, this stone was lighter. Ghostly white, and in the shade, looked an almost attractive periwinkle hue. Granite? Marble even? Why was he seeing visions of Derse?

 

Jade's dream, was perhaps the most normal. At first. She recognized the fresh blooming honeysuckle that came with the Prospitian borderline. Here they grew so wild that the flowers tangled around one another and it's brush, encroaching on absolutely everything in it's path. She watched as the seas of wheatgrass swayed soothingly in front of her eyes. At night like this, it was almost like an actual ocean. Starlight illuminated her view just enough, that when something moved it caught her eye. She recognized the bright robes of a page from their very palace, frolicking back towards the castle walls. And then he grew closer. Much faster than she would have imagined. He was sprinting now, stumbling over his footsteps until he nearly ran into where she would be if she were actually present and he tripped, falling to his knees. And where he fell, the ground grew red with blood.

 

* * *

 

 

**_Dawn, 48th MidSummer_ **

 

_Today, there has been grim news delivered at the palace gates. A lone page stumbled all the way from the borderlands, between our realms and that of Derse. He bore more than one message, breathlessly, delirious as the many medical staff tried to calm him.  The negotiations with The Dark Kingdom did not go well. Our proposition was met so badly, in fact, that the only advocate of Derse had outright turned down the offer._

 

_"We will settle no longer," he had said. "For meager rations, while your kingdom thrives. We cannot grow our own crop, and you continuously keep the bounty to yourselves. Selfish."_

 

_The Queen raised her offer. On a horse honorably as white as her carapace, it shall be documented. She stood tall in her regalium, no fret in her voice._

 

_The mercenary had declined. Again, he reiterated, "Selfish. All of you, selfish. We now see, that there will never be enough for both of our kingdoms. There will be no settling for less."_

 

_Before the entirety of her entourage, suddenly there were three more Dersians, creeping from the field like they sprung from the soil._

 

_The messenger recalls then, wracking with sobs, that it was only four against a handful of fifteen of Prospit's trained soldiers. But it had happened so fast. Blood sprung from the Queen's throat first, and by the time she hit the ground, the Derse advocates had hardly moved. He was far too shaken to recount how the rest of them had passed. But he was the only one to survive. Having said enough, the bodies arrived later that evening to what was left of the somberly awaiting royal family._

 

_It was true. The Great Queen was dead._

 

* * *

 

 

_**Knock, knock, knock.** _

 

Although he had called her name as well, Jake didn't see Jane lift her head from where she knelt in the kingdom's throne room. Her normally vibrant golden skirts were bunched around her, making her look much more like a wilted flower than a mourning princess. No. Now, a Queen. Or she would be as she took oath tomorrow evening.

 

He faltered by the doorway, unsure what to do, much less what to say in a time like this. He was, younger, when the King had passed. Had never really gotten to know the guy. Jane was there for him then, with a gentle hand on his shoulder and her arms open wide for an embrace. So, he moved forward slowly, careful not to startle her, as if treating her like a wounded animal.

 

As he drew near the casket, he couldn't help but spare it a glance. It still shook him to the core. The Queen looked absolutely resplendent. She wore a vibrant burial shroud, in brighter, wealthier hues than he had ever seen in his own closet. For such short notice, the Royal Seamstress had done a marvelous job. The hemlines dripped with tear-shaped beads, traveling through golden, blue, green, perfectly pleated fabrics that reminded him metaphorically of a rainbow after the downpour. Her face was unpainted, seeing as she had a carapace and had no need for such things like makeup, but even through the thin silk tulle veil she had woven for the Queen; she looked beautiful.

 

Of course there had to be some reparations made, given how, **_unseemly_** , the Queen had been dispatched. But if there were any signs of damage, he couldn't glimpse them now. Flowers were spread about her as a final resting bed, in every color under the Prospitian sun. As was customary for the death of a beloved ruler, same with the gilded glass casket, of course.

 

Swallowing hard, he struggled to turn his eyes towards Jane and found her sorrowful eyes looking right back at him. Her lips quivered once, and then stopped. He knew she hated to appear frail, so this must really have shaken her.

 

Setting her hands neatly on the glass, she thumbed nervously at the gold leaf etched designs creeping up the sides of the encasement and let out a breath.

 

"She was, the closest thing I've ever had to a mother."

 

Sniffing once, she looked back towards the casket with such a tender look that, Jake's heart broke for her.

 

"You know. I'm truly glad that I got the chance to see Prospit with you yesterday. It just, reinforces the fact that this," she made a small gesture with her head towards the room around her, "is what I was meant to rule. She taught me everything I needed to know."

 

"Janey, you- You may be Queen really soon. Sooner, than anyone may have wanted, but that is so much pressure to-"

 

"Being a Queen **is** pressure, Jake."

 

The wavering in her voice stopped him in his tracks, and he cast his eyes towards his feet as she spoke up, sounding more distraught than he'd ever remembered. He was still wearing his bed shoes.

 

"This, **all** of this, everything I have ever been trained for my entire life is pressure. It's stress. It's **_responsibility_**. And I'm more than ready to take it."

 

He could hear her sigh, and after a brief pause, he realized she must be looking at him for confirmation. He looked at her, and she looked away.

 

"It's a lot of weight to carry, for someone whose felt so carefree. And, I am not asking you to take it so seriously. I can handle most on my own. I just have one thing that I will ever ask of you."

 

He felt winded, sucking in a breath and nodding. Nodding so hard and fast he felt a little lightheaded.

 

"O- Oh! Of course, Janey. Jane. Anything. Anything I can do to help at all."

 

She would not look at him. But her eyes searched the room. From the dome ceiling painted with cherubic figures, to the tall doors and the guards that watched them. Security was much tighter right now, due to the recent turn of events. But even then, he could see the moment her mind was not there anymore. Her eyes crystalline, focused hard on the wall, pointed directly towards Derse, where her biggest role model was slain.

 

"I expect you to do the right thing. You are going to Derse. And you are going to make them an offer they **CANNOT** refuse. That if they do, they will see no more of Prospit than **_the entire force of our army._** "


	5. Dust & Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's very little time for Jake to ready himself for his trip to Derse. He's barely become King of Prospit, and his horse is ready at the door. How he plans his next few days will be vital for Prospit's survival, and he is stressed.

 

####  _M(V)CCCLXXX_

 

 

 

> _There's been word that the White Queen has died. The papers say that she had started insulting the consorts the Black Queen sent, and that her death was only in self defense and retaliation. And around the kingdom, the civilians have been rejoicing. The Black Sorceress here has promised them that this will at last be the end of their starvation. Of course that's a crock of shit. But they don't pay for general education in Derse. Just as the Sorceress hordes all of the crop from Prospit to herself, she hordes information. That's the only reason I know what's happening now._
> 
>  
> 
> _Nobody knows that they've been fooled this whole time. And anyone from the palace that tries to help their families on the outside disappears mysteriously._
> 
>  
> 
> _I was never a religious individual. But I can only pray that Prospit cuts all ties while they can. And they **run**._
> 
>  

* * *

 

 

It was late. It had been three days since the late Queen had been buried, put in the immortal mausoleum alongside her husband, three years gone now. Jake was sure the overwhelming amount of Prospitians from town would keep flowing in and out of that crypt, some sobbing, some barely holding themselves together, all of them bearing flowers; for the next three weeks at least. He would like to say that he's been doing fine, but that would be a lie.

 

He was less affected than either of his siblings. Jade had been walking around in something of a stupor ever since. She could paint nothing but the Queen anymore, very much alive as she wasn't. And even then he's spotted her spacing out at her canvas for hours more than once. 

 

Jane had of course, pulled herself together as she always did. Like she had to. It's just like she said. In a way, she had been raised waiting for this very situation since the day she was born. And now that the Queen was dead, and she was newly crowned- wow. It had really happened.

 

_He saw flashes of her royal chambers the night of the coronation. He personally was primped and picked at by the seamstress for what felt like a decade, but with his regalia tight, a luxurious cape trailing behind him like a deadweight; it must've been nothing compared to what she was forced into. Her skirts all by themselves were easily twice her density, and the way they swaddled her in such jewelry and gold he could never imagine being able to breathe. Let's not even mention how tight they had cinched her poor waist with those blasted corsets._

 

_The sunlight had filtered through the throne room that day, spilling in like banners of Prospit pride. The castle had never seemed so teeming with life. Every single citizen was present, including the newly appointed Head Baker (which Pollot was very excited about despite the recent death of a matriarch). And he could remember how it sounded when they cheered, as first he was set with a short gilded crown on his brow. It was much different from when he was anointed a Prince._

 

_This one was much more bulbous. Almost hideously gaudy, with a fat blue velvet headpiece, and the gold building its rim and up to make a flowered cage above it so heavy that his head began to ache by the time they had finished the rites and crowned Jane. He figured he would never look half as important or regal as she did just then. As she knelt in those ridiculous petticoats and long silks and accepted the even larger crown atop her perfectly primped curls she looked like.. a goddess._

 

_It was a large production, the thing. Her crown looked, amazing. Its metal was curled outwards, spreading out from the top of her head and to either side like a balance made of gold. Tear shaped crystals hung from every meticulously crafted spike, making her look something like a golden stag in front of the gathering carapacians. And as the last words were said and she stood before the room, there was a continued hush for a moment before the entire chamber burst with applause so loud he was sure it could be heard in Derse._

 

_And he felt so overwhelmingly proud, he sure as hell hoped they did._

 

Now he sat with his hands between ether of his knees, rubbing either of his thumbs together and twiddling them a little anxiously. He promised he would waste no more time. He had also promised, that he would go through with it.

 

Visiting Derse, that is. With a new request. No treaties, just demands. That of which, he and Jane had debated over heatedly for the past three days. And it had been incredibly hard for him to get her to make them as loose as they already were, which was not much.

 

1.) Derse would have to back off of Prospit's borders for good. _(Well, Jane had specifically said 'an eternity' but, Jake had figured that was a given.)_

 

2.) No other treaties, no negotiations, no offers of trade or otherwise would be made anymore between the two kingdoms. Peace treaties were another issue, but still plausible.

 

3.) Whomever was directly responsible for the White Queen's death, were they a vigilante, should be punished as such however Dersian law permits. Was it a direct order from the Black Queen herself, then it would be necessary that she give an honest reason as to why she would assassinate their peaceful matriarch, and recompensate. An eye for an eye. And then there would be peace. (Which Jake did also, not see very feasible knowing what little he did about Derse's Queen and her temper.)

 

Seemed simple enough. Just three demands. Only, Jake had a feeling that as per usual, Derse would not be willing to budge on whatever they countered. And he feared that. The stories about Derse, it's kingdom, it's hierarchy, history, and people were immense in the Sun Kingdom. He could still vividly remember Jane reading him horror stories of the bloodshed that they had built their kingdom upon.

 

It's said that the very dirt the palace was built on was immortally stained black with how much blood had soaked through, and that's why they could not manage to get a single thing to live or grow. The very wind in the place was cold enough that it put literal ice in your bones. 

 

He also read himself that the Dersians had once come from Prospit, and that a Carapacian had rose up and went rogue, plunging Prospit into war. In the end, Prospit was victorious. They claimed most of the territory and all of what Jake lived in today. So with their dwindling numbers, the wounded crawled to the other side of the great plains where the world grew dark with their hatred, even their shells. Everything that they touched died, and where they built homes, there sprung Derse.

 

Of course, he could imagine most of the stories were exaggerated, as they tended to be by the winning or losing side. He was positive that most of the Dersian books on Prospit painted them as the bad guys as well, or else there would never be any contradiction.

 

Even from his place in his room, he could hear the whistles come from outside and stole a glance towards the window for a moment, breaking his train of thought. Horses. He watched as a Carapacian lead his stallion along the grass towards the main entrance to the castle and knew it was nearly time to go.  He spared one last glance around his room, at the familiar tapestries depicting ancient heroes, the soft green velvet of his comforter beneath him, the cluttering of books on his desk that he always said he would get around to organizing. He never did.

 

And then with a sigh, he pushed himself up, brushed himself off, and headed out of his private chambers. Onward, to Derse.

 

* * *

 

 

Outside, Jane was ready to greet him, alongside his small troupe he had decided to have come along for the journey. And upon nearing the two of them and their steeds, he realized immediately why her face must look so sour. He stopped a foot away from her, trying to keep his feet from shuffling as he awaited the barrage of words he knew were to come. Jane was holding back. Her lips were drawn into such a tight line that they were nearly white, but she still held it all in until the silence was simply unbearable and she burst.

 

" _This_ is your entourage, Jake?" With her foot tapping hard on the pavement, the newly appointed Queen went to cross her arms and then thought better of it, wringing her hands together near her bodice. "Do tell me. What is wrong with this picture?"

 

Glancing from one knight and then to the other, Jake smiled a little sheepishly and attempted to joke;

 

"Well, honestly I always thought that Barnabus looked a lot better in anything but blue. Vermillion is a much more flattering color for his carapace."

 

The moment her eyebrows shot to her hairline Jake knew that had been the wrong kind of joke to make right now and looked away as the onslaught started.

 

"NO. Jake. I could care less, if Barnabus is a summer or an autumn, kind of guy. The fact that I could name the both, BOTH, of these soldiers without having to look over heads for a count is the issue. Two. TWO. YOU'RE TAKING  _ONLY TWO GUARDS_ WITH YOU THE WHOLE WAY TO  _DERSE_???? Are. You. _Insane?????_ "

 

He threw up his hands in a defensive gesture, trying to calm her down before she flew into an actual rampage.

 

"Janey! Janey, listen. I figured, in a way, it showed.... confidence? In our army, and the strength of our kingdom. If I show up with such a small entourage and no weapons drawn with my head still held high, they're going to think I'm not at all afraid of what Derse can do."

 

With her cheeks puffing up for a moment and deflating, Jane's eyes bugged between the golden wire frames of her glasses, trying to knock some silent sense into him.

 

"FOUR of them took down 15 of our best soldiers and our QUEEN, Skaia bless her but-" scratching her head so hard Jake almost winced for her, Jane dropped her hands, her fingers still flexing like she wanted to wring him around the neck. "You are an absolute imbecile!"

 

"You made your demands! Let me have just this one, Jane!"

 

 

 

 

Half an hour later, he and his entourage of two were out the gates and on the road to Derse. He knew if he looked back at Jane now she would still be huffing where he left her, so instead he spared a wave behind him, knowing Jade would want a goodbye, and then wound his fingers into his horse's thick white mane. Below him, the palomino nickered softly and he felt his muscles tense and then relax. He knew his legs would be screaming by the time they even made half the journey tonight, and despite all of his surety when he persuaded Jane to just let him go..

 

He was absolutely, terrified.


End file.
